Unexpected
by Angell4NEPatriots
Summary: Ever wonder how or why Brooke agreed to do the costumes for Julian and Lucas' movie? My one-shot for several missing scenes for episode 6.13. Brooke/Julian


**A/N** I began working on this right after episode 6.14 aired. I always wondered how and why Brooke agreed to do the costumes for the movie after she originally turned down Julian's offer. I was inspired by an idea for dialogue and built the piece around it. I have spent several weeks revising and adding to it and could probably continue that pattern since I am good at procrastinating. LOL This is my first OTH fanfic attempt and I am very nervous. I love the characters of Brooke and Julian so much which that means there is a lot of pressure to do them justice as they are both so amazing!!! So I hope you will let me know what you think of the finished product. Good or bad, any feedback is greatly appreciated. If the response is encouraging I might share a few other ideas I have been working on. Oh and I am sorry for the less than creative title, I couldn't really think of a good one so I went with "Unexpected" since that is kind of what Brooke and Julian are. I never expected to love them this much! The only other thing I should warn you about is that the italics represent flashbacks, mostly of scenes from the episode. Now on with the story...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own OTH or anything else related to the show. All mistakes are mine.

UNEXPECTED

What could possibly be said after the events of a night such as the one they just experienced? Nothing. And everything. Yet none of them said a word as they entered the house on a quiet street in the quaint little town called Tree Hill, just as the drive to Brooke's had been made in complete silence, each lost in their own thoughts, afraid that if the stillness was shattered it would be an invitation for chaos to engulf them. Brooke had her arm around the young girl's tiny shoulders. Julian noted she had been reluctant to let go of the girl from the moment she started hugging her while an unconscious body of a psycho killer laid at their feet. Sam didn't voice any objection to the constant contact which led Julian to believe that she was in need of comfort as much as Brooke needed to give it. Not that he blamed them at all given the trauma they had endured just several hours before.

"I am going to get her settled." Brooke replied as she started to guide Sam passed the staircase. "Please make yourself at home."

Julian nodded, "thanks. Good night Sammy. I am glad you are alright." Inwardly though he cringed at the term since clearly she wasn't exactly "alright" by any standards but it could have been so much worse.

Julian was taken by surprise for the third time in as many hours when Sam suddenly pulled away from Brooke and turned to give him a hug.

"Thank you," she said simply with her head not quite reaching his shoulder.

He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, his initial surprise delaying his reaction in much the same way as when Brooke had laid her head on his chest earlier in the evening. He carefully patted Sam's back clearly feeling out of his element. He resisted the urge to remind her that he hadn't done anything to deserve her gratitude but he wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. Now was not the time to engage in such a trivial debate.

As he hugged the girl he made the mistake of looking over at Brooke. Their eyes caught and the unshed tears that shimmered in her green eyes made him want to reach out and draw her into his arms as well. The impulse shocked him because comfort was not his thing unless it was done to satisfy a physical need. He wasn't normally the sentimental type, yet there was something about these two girls that made him want to be "that" guy, which was completely ridiculous if he really thought about it since he had only shared a handful of conversations with the two since his arrival in North Carolina.

Julian dropped his arm from around her as she stepped back and returned to Brooke's side. Brooke gave him a small smile before leading Samantha in the direction of her room around the corner of the staircase.

Once the two were out of sight Julian took off his coat, dropping it over the back of a chair by the door before he settled down on the sofa. He rubbed his hands over his face before he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cushions using the solitude to process his thoughts. What a messed up fucking day this turned out to be! He reminded himself it could have been so much worse for Brooke and Sam though.

It would have been so easy to let his mind wander off on all the horrible scenarios that could have possibly happened that afternoon. However knowing how unproductive that would have been, he redirected his thoughts to take account of the actual events of his day.

_He had a half dozen conference calls to Los Angeles scheduled for the day to discuss the movie. He actually only made it through about two before he gave up the idea of conducting business. From the moment he had gotten out of bed this morning his mind had been occupied worrying about a certain runaway and her hot foster mother. After rescheduling the remainder of his calls he was finally able to focus on the more pressing matter of finding out if Brooke had located Sam yet. He realized a simple phone call to her could have resolved the issue, it probably hadn't been necessary to cancel the rest of his conference calls. However a part of him wanted to be free of any obligations in the event that Sam was still missing. Now while the idea of calling Brooke sounded like a perfectly logical course of action, it was complicated because he didn't have her number. He considered calling Lucas to ask for it but then he would have to explain and even then he doubted Lucas would have given him the number. He would have probably told him to go to hell; Brooke didn't need his help, that is what her friends were for. He had also toyed with the idea of calling Peyton, which would primarily piss Lucas off. While that usually held all kinds of appeal for him he recognized that this was far too serious of a matter to use as a reason to annoy Lucas. He wasn't certain his chances of success with Peyton would be any better either since she seemed opposed to him associating with Brooke if the scene at the USO concert was any indication. Left with no alternative, Julian headed to Clothes over Bros, hoping Brooke would be at the boutique and if not her then maybe someone else who could advise him on how he might be able to reach her._

_Luck was on his side as he found Brooke at her store with Peyton. It was a good thing he had listened to his instincts about not calling Peyton since she started in on him the moment he entered the building. Brooke quickly intervened by announcing that she knew all about his attempt to search for Sam last night. He didn't mind that she was aware of his failed efforts if it meant that she continued to look at him with that soft look in her eyes. It was the first time she had looked at him without any suspicion in her gaze. Her simple gratitude made him feel like a hero even though he hadn't really done anything to deserve feeling that way. He gave her a shy smile and inquired how that had all worked out. She informed him that Sam still hadn't come home and proceeded to ramble on about how she was a terrible mother for not knowing the details of Sam's life because she had been too focused on laying out all the ground rules. Peyton tried to reassure her that she was a good mom but Brooke paid no attention to that comment as she listed out all the rules Sam had to abide by. It was fascinating to watch Brooke David getting all worked up as something finally clicked into place as she remember the boy who had occupied Sam's bed, her face alight with sudden hope. Julian could not resist telling Brooke that she was a cool mom. Brooke responded by correcting him that she was a stupid mom. She mentioned Jack Daniels, who was apparently the boy, and not the drink. Julian remembered seeing Sam with a boy at the diner and gave a brief description of him having floppy hair. Brooke confirmed that was the kid. Julian suddenly felt useful as he had been able to contribute some valuable information in the discussion of Sam's friend Jack. Glad he could help her in some way; he promised to be on the lookout and left for the diner to do exactly that._

_He had been staking out the diner for a couple hours when Jack appeared to enlist his help. Julian wasted no time and followed him out the door. He considered calling Brooke but decided it might be best to wait until he had more information. Calling her might have been difficult given the fact that he had failed to get her number earlier at the store. On the way to Jack's house, Jack filled in the blanks explaining that he and his brother took Sam in the night before. Jack continued to tell him about how his brother was pissed that Sam had given some sketches to Brooke. Jack swore he tried to protect Sam and all that accomplished was to piss his brother off even more until he had locked them both in a room. The more Julian heard of the tale, the more his blood chilled as he concluded Jack's brother sounded like a real creep who was capable of anything. Jack explained how they tried to escape but Sam was caught before she could climb out the window. From the passenger seat he heard Jack berate himself for being so stupid for not insisting she go out the window first. Julian reassured him that he was right in coming to him for help as he drove faster trying not to think about the danger Sam was in and possibly Brooke as well if she had managed to track down Jack's address from Haley, which at this point he really hoped that wasn't the case._

_Julian pulled up in front of the house conceding that he had no real plan, other than to get Sam the hell out of there. How he planned to accomplish that remained unclear but he would do whatever was necessary to ensure her safety. As he exited the vehicle he noticed another car parked out front. He suspected it belonged to Brooke and he closed the distance to the house with a greater sense of urgency.__The wide open front door made him pause at the foot of the concrete steps and he cautiously approached not knowing what to expect on the inside.__Julian received his first real surprise of the day as he took in the scene before him. "Fuck!" was the first thing that came to his mind as he realized that while he had been mentally preparing himself nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Brooke holding a gun right between the psycho's eyes, which were full of fear as he knelt on his knees in front of her__**. **__ He wisely kept Jack from interfering as he vaguely heard Sam plead with Brooke not to shoot. __A quick survey of the girl assured him she appeared unharmed for the most part despite the tears streaming down her face. He quickly returned his attention to Brooke terrified she was actually going to kill the guy as she whispered with such conviction of how much she hated him.__He was scrambling his brain for the best approach in diffusing the volatile situation when he heard Sam say "mom, I need you!" Julian saw Brooke's eyes shift from the guys to her daughters and back again. He could feel the tension in the room and then he gradually relaxed, as Brooke informed the creep he wasn't worth any more of her time or her life. He watched in awe as she slammed her gun against the side of his head and landed a solid kick to his face knocking him to the floor.__ Sam ran into Brooke's arms and Julian slowly approached them as Brooke murmured to her that it was going to be okay.__He reached around Brooke, taking the gun from her rock steady hand and instructed Jack to go find some rope to restrain his brother, just in case he woke up, which was highly unlikely since Brooke had seriously kicked his ass. Satisfied that the situation was under control he took out his cell phone and stepped out on to the porch to call the Tree Hill Police Department. _

_By the time the police had arrived both girls were composed.__For the next two hours the police collected evidence and statements from Jack, Sam, Brooke and himself.__It was during that time that he learned all about the attack on Brooke at her store shortly before he arrived in town.__As she started to speak, he was reluctant to leave her side as she relived the nightmare all over for the police in great detail. There were times he wanted to intervene as it was obvious how painful this process was for her to give voice to the life altering experience. As unrealistic as it was he struggled with the need to spare Brooke and Sam from all of this mess even though he knew the police needed to hear everything to make sure the asshole paid for a long time to come. Instead he did the only thing he could and offered her support by placing a comforting hand on her shoulder which earned him a brilliant smile. He was astonished when she confessed that one of the reasons she hadn't originally gone to the police was because she had been certain her mother had been behind her attack. He couldn't even imagine how that would have made her feel on top of everything else she had been dealing with after the attack. He listened intently as she shared the events of the last twenty-four hours concluding the tale of how she foolishly yet so courageously rescued her foster daughter and fought against her attacker to keep the both of them safe. When she was finished sharing her incredible story he couldn't help but amazed by her strength. Once the police informed them they had everything they needed he had offered to take the girls home. On their way out they overheard that one of the police officers had discovered someone named Quentin Field's wallet and Julian received his second surprise of the day when Brooke realized that Jack's psychotic brother was also responsible for Quentin's death and she turned to him for comfort, resting her head on the center of his chest. He had been momentarily stunned by her reaction and it had taken him a moment before he awkwardly patted her back. He hadn't expected for her to take the news so badly after all she had been through but he could understand why it would hit her so hard after realizing that the guy who had attacked her and held Sam against her will was capable of murder. He figured she was discerning how it easily could have been her or Sam. Sam must have sensed his confusion because she took pity and explained who Quentin was and his connection. Julian continued to comfort Brooke until she composed herself enough to straighten up. Once she was ready he escorted them to the door pausing for a brief moment while Sam said her good-byes to Jack and promised she would be in touch. He wished Jack good luck and told him to take care before placing a hand on the small of Brooke's back as he ushered her through the door and out to her car. He would make arrangements to get his own car later on. Then he proceeded to drive the two silent girls back to Brooke's place._

In the quite of the living room Julian felt his thoughts slipping down the path he most wanted to avoid. He didn't want the pictures of a broken and abused Sam or Brooke in his head. Yet he knew that is exactly what he could have found this evening had Brooke not been so brave or brilliant today. It was so hard to imagine her broken since she was practically a superhero in his mind. She may not have saved the world but she had saved what matters most to her and brought closure for her and a family who had lost a loved one so violently. She had single handedly taken a murderer off the streets. He felt a sudden need to see her, just to reassure himself that she was okay and to erase the gruesome descriptions his mind had conjured up in the past few minutes. He got up off the couch and followed the route Brooke and Sam had taken an hour ago.

Julian located Sam's room easily enough since it was the only door that was halfway open. A lamp on the nightstand next to the bed provided a soft glow as he carefully peaked in. He saw Brooke lying down on top of the covers while Sam was cuddled next to her under them. Both appeared to be sleeping. He quietly retreated into the living room to retrieve the throw blanket off the back of the couch. He retraced his steps back to the teenagers room entering as stealthily as possible not wanting to disturb or startle the girls in any way. Sleep would go a long way towards helping them get past the traumatic events of the day. He spread the blanket over Brooke's sleeping form and slipped out unnoticed from the room though he had been tempted to stay and watch over the two of them just to keep reassuring himself they were safe and would remain so.

***************************

It wasn't even an hour later that Brooke forced herself to wake up leaving the hauntingly vivid images behind. She noticed that her breathing was accelerated, her heart was racing, and her body was chilled, yet sweaty at the same time and shaking. She couldn't manage to control the shaking. She slowly sat up carefully not wanting to disturb Sam. A quick glance to her left confirmed that her daughter was still sleeping peacefully. She was thankful that she hadn't awakened and was even more relieved to know that Sam wasn't suffering from the nightmares that plagued her. She had been hoping the confrontation would have given her some closure to leave this all behind.

Brooke pushed the blanket off recognizing it as the one that usually hung on the back of the couch. She wondered briefly how it had gotten in here when she knew she hadn't brought it in with her earlier as she had never intended on falling asleep in Sam's bed, fully aware she had had a guest waiting in the living room. She ruled out Sam as a possibility given that the girl had drifted off shortly after Brooke had tucked her in. Brooke acknowledged that narrowed it down to only one person. She made a mental note to get in touch with Julian tomorrow to apologize for rudely falling asleep and to also thank him properly for all of his assistance today.

She eased off the bed resigned that it was going to be a long time before she attempted sleep again. She didn't want to be assaulted with all the images that her mind had created while she had been sleeping. If she continued to ignore them they had to go away eventually. She just had to keep mind busy she decided as she picked up the blanket and carried it out of the room with her. Perhaps she could work on Peyton's wedding dress or attempt some new designs. She closed Sam's door partially behind her in the event that Sam woke up and needed her, then headed for the kitchen.

Brooke opened the door of the refrigerator and leaned her forehead on the steel panel of the freezer allowing the cold from the fridge to cool her body. After a few minutes, she reached in and slowly pulled out a bottle of water. She had just closed the door when she heard a faint rustling sound coming from the direction of the living room which was behind her to her right. With her heart and mind racing she slowly turned around and saw a shadow looming over by the couch. Stifling a scream she dropped the bottle of water and reached for her purse on the counter. Her hand had just connected with it when the sound of her name said in a vaguely familiar voice prevented her from any further movement.

"Brooke, it is just me, Julian."

Relief overwhelmed her as she felt her eyes fill with tears. She didn't even have time to form a defense against them before Julian was standing before her wrapping her closely in his arms. She briefly noticed that his arms surrounding her this time felt more natural, there hadn't been any hesitation in the action like there had been earlier when she had learned that her attacker had also been Quentin's murderer. Knowing it was weak but not caring at the moment Brooke gave in to the tears and the comfort he so willingly presented. She exchanged the grip on the blanket she had forgotten about and held on tightly to Julian's waist burying her head in one of his shoulders.

Julian stood silently stroking her back in soothing motions, feeling guilty for frightening her so badly, something he had been trying to avoid from the moment she appeared in the kitchen. He had been debating about the best way to alert her to his presence when he had shifted a fraction on the couch just as she had shut the door of the fridge. It had been bad timing on his part. Then he saw her reaching for her purse which he knew contained a gun and realized that he needed to say something before it was too late. However before that suspenseful moment had taken place, he'd had enough time to recognize that she had been on edge as soon as she walked in, as he had observed her for several minutes. Even in the dim light and distance he could tell her face was pale and it had made him immediately concerned.

Brooke became absently aware of Julian's hands rubbing her back in an effort to calm her. She admitted to herself that it felt good but she knew she couldn't stand here in his arms all night, even if she was tempted to do just that. When she was certain her tears had subsided and she had herself under control she slowly took several steps back immediately regretting the loss of warmth and security he had provided. It had been such a long time since she had been held in such a protective way. She couldn't understand how she could feel so safe with a man who was a virtual stranger to her and whose reputation was somewhat sketchy. She had been so quick to dismiss Julian as someone not to be trusted, convinced his sole purpose in Tree Hill was to cause trouble. But all that changed the instant she discovered that he had been searching for Sam despite his initial denial. She couldn't explain how from that moment on she hadn't felt quite so alone in this whole situation and that was a dangerous, forgotten feeling that scared the hell out of her. It was dangerous to believe in that false sense of security because his seemingly genuine concern for her and Sam made it difficult to remember why it was imperative that she keep her walls up, to keep him at a distance.

She gently removed the traces of tears from her face with a swipe of her hands to her cheeks before she shyly said, "I am sorry about that. I wasn't expecting you to still be here."

Julian shrugged his shoulders and explained, "it is my fault. I wanted to stick around in case the two of you needed anything. I never meant to frighten you."

"I know and it wasn't really you either."

"Bad dreams?" He guessed.

Brooke nodded her head but said nothing.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Not really." To distract herself from the concern in his penetrating gaze she bent down to retrieve the bottle of water and blanket she had dropped, thankful the sound hadn't woken Sam. When she straightened she asked politely, "Can I get you some water or anything?"

"A water would great, thanks."

She turned and got him a cold bottle of water from the fridge and held it out for him.

He took it from her. "How is Sam?"

"Sleeping right now. I think she will be okay. I am going to make certain of it."

"There isn't a doubt in my mind about that."

"She is worried about Jack."

"Hmm, wonder where she gets that from, worrying about her friend rather than herself." He mused.

Brooke was surprised by his observation but said nothing. She led him into the living room not wanting the sound of their voices to carry into the next room and disrupt Sam. She sat down and curled up in the corner of the couch closest to the kitchen, so she could listen for Sam, just in case.

"I hope you will let me know if there is anything I can do. For either of you," he added.

Brooke shook her head and looked up at Julian, who now sat across from her on the arm of the couch rather than any of the cushions. "You have done so much for us already. Thank you Julian."

This time he gave in to the need to object the gratitude. "I haven't done anything Brooke, even though I wish I had. But you had everything under control."

"That is not true. You helped search for Sam when you barely know her. You took care of Jack, Sam and me after," Brooke paused fighting back the emotions that threatened to take over. After a few moments of silence she continued in a quiet voice, "after the confrontation. You let me cry on your chest when you had no idea know who Quentin Fields even was. You drove Sam and I home and once again you were taking care of me." Brooke held up the blanket in her hand as evidence before laying it over the back of the couch where it belonged. She smoothed it out before she deliberately met his piercing eyes and whispered, "all of that matters to me, more than you could possibly know."

Julian was uncertain how to respond to her, unnerved by the depth of her sincerity. He wished he were better with words like the resident Tree Hill author. Oh he was fine when it came to flirting or exchanging witty banter or presenting a movie proposal. However when it came to emotions and meaningful conversations, his brain kind of protested and words seemed to fail him. He decided to go with what came natural to him and followed the instinct to lighten up the mood. He hoped his efforts would make her smile at the very least. "Aside from the fact that you might kick my ass" he began privately pleased when a tiny smile played at her lips, not enough to display her adorable dimples though so he continued on, "I'd be a total dick to argue with you after all you have been through tonight."

"This is true." She said, trying to keep a full smile off her face.

"But then again I do have a reputation of being a total dick if you listen to Lucas."

"According to Peyton, you have begun to resemble the guy she used to know." Brooke countered.

"She doesn't want to believe her ex is an ass so that makes her biased and not a credible witness to attest to my character. Or lack thereof. "

"Well I am not biased at all and I am almost convinced you are a decent guy Julian Baker."

"That would be a mistake Brooke Davis."

"I don't think so. See your actions betray you. Not many guys would let someone they barely know fall apart all over them. Twice," she reminded him.

"They would when it is a beautiful stranger."

"They wouldn't take an interest in Sam the way you have."

"I thought you didn't trust me with her."

"I was wrong for that Julian and I am sorry."

He nodded his acceptance and then grinned as inspiration struck. "Exactly how sorry are you?"

Brooke eyed him suspiciously. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just trying to determine if you are really being sincere here."

"I am," she insisted.

"Good, I might even be willing to let you make it up to me then. You have no idea how deeply you wounded me."

"How can I make it up to you?" She demanded giving him an overly sweet smile to disguise her frustration at having her level of sincerity called into question.

"Agree to do the costumes for the movie."

"And all will be forgiven?" She reiterated dubiously. His request had taken her by surprise as she been half expecting him to hit on her thereby proving he really was a jerk. She almost wished he would so she could have some kind of resistance against his unexpected kindness. And his charm. And his arrogance. And his grin. Damn that grin, the one she had once vowed wouldn't get him anywhere with her. But it was dammit!

"Absolutely, I would be very lucky to have you."

"Damn right you would be."

"I think this could be an extremely mutually beneficial arrangement."

Brooke played with the idea in her mind never once breaking eye contact with Julian as she considered his proposal for several long minutes before she finally replied, "okay, I will do the costumes for the movie." She realized that this went against her resolve to keep this man at a distance but for some reason the idea of working on the movie appealed to her. She rationalized that it would also be a great publicity for when she launched her new clothing line in the fall. It would also provide her with the opportunity of finding out if Julian's presence in Tree Hill went beyond making the movie. Working together would make it easier for her to keep an eye on him and his intentions towards her best friends.

"You won't regret it Brooke!" He promised.

"I hope not but time will will work out the terms tomorrow. I can't think of all the ground rules this late."

"Of course," he agreed readily. He wasn't willing to piss her off so quickly as she had just agreed to be a part of the project that was close to his heart for reasons she was not even aware of. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep?"

"I can't, not yet." Brooke confided, determined to avoid sleep as long as she possibly could for fear of the nightmares that might be waiting in the shadows for her again.

He understood her reluctance to try and sleep again because of the potential nightmares. Rather than push her, he asked "what would you like to do then?"

"Just because I am not going to sleep doesn't mean you have to stay up with me. I am sure you could use a break from all the drama."

"Brooke, I am a movie producer, which means I am not opposed to some drama every now and then. Especially real life drama, which always makes the best kind of movie, in my opinion. I might even go so far as to say that without drama I could very well be out of a job and for the record I love my job."

"Okay, I get it you have made your point. I just don't want you to feel like you have to babysit me. I will be fine."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I know you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. "

"Aren't you the least bit tired?"

Julian shook his head in the negative.

"Well then if you are not anxious to leave why don't you make yourself comfortable and tell me all about this job you love?" She invited. Deep inside she was glad he wasn't ready to leave yet either. He calmed her in a way she couldn't explain to herself let alone anyone else. She would analyze why that was later on after things settled down a bit.

He slid down on to the cushions of the couch reaching for the throw blanket once again. He draped it over her body before grabbing her ankles. Upon contact he felt her body tense immediately and her eyes filled with panic. He hated the fact that his touch inspired that kind of reaction from her even though a part of him understood it was a natural response to all she had experienced. Wanting to erase that look in her beautiful green eyes, he gave her a reassuring smile and whispered "relax, I am just trying to make you more comfortable as well." He proceeded to straighten her legs out until her feet were cradled in his lap. He slipped her shoes off and began to rub her sock covered foot.

"You don't have to keep taking care of me Julian."

"Hush," he commanded.

Brooke studied him wearily as he continued to massage her feet. He was sure she was trying to figure him out just as much as he was trying to unravel the puzzle that was Brook Davis. He did not understand what it was about this woman that brought out a sudden and deep yearning to take care of her. This newly discovered mind-set was baffling and completely foreign to him given his usual behavior of not worrying about anyone but himself mostly. The real irony of this whole situation was that she was probably the only one he was acquainted with that didn't actually need him to rescue her. She did it all on her own, never relying on anyone else, just as he heard her tell Owen last night during their disagreement at TRIC. She was extremely independent, opening her home to a troubled young teenager and all the dramas that came along with it, bravely facing down her attacker to protect the young girl who meant so much to her as well as reclaim back a part of her that had been missing since the attack. Brooke Davis was a woman to be admired and he wanted to give back a little bit since she seemed to give so much of herself to others. It didn't make much sense considering he barely knew her but he felt compelled to just the same.

She slowly began to relax after a few minutes of his gentle ministrations. Satisfied that she was at ease with his touch he began to tell her all about his dreams of becoming a movie producer and his journey that brought him here.

**AN2:** Thank you for reading! I would really love to hear what you thought of it.


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